The Trail - Vol. 7 Issue 6

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EPIB Trail

Volume 7, Issue 6

The EPIB Trail A student run newsletter from the Department of Human Ecology about Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior

This is issue is dedicated to the senior class of 2015 graduating from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences As always, we want to thank our Advisors:

Writers: Arcadia Lee

Alexus Lizardi

Holly Berman

Langley Oudemans

Alexander Toke

Ryan Koch

Ariel Schwalb

Marc Katronesky

Sagarike Rana

Jeanne-Marie

Christopher

LaVergne

Wilkinson

Collin Dobson

Tom Armstrong

Derek Leckner

Matt Golden

Morgan Lewis

James Duffy

Christi Capazzo

Alexander Nayfeld

Rishi Jaggernauth

Ethan Chang

Will Shinn

Chris Wilson

Chloe’ Lewis

Taylor Dodge

Melissa Mertz

Dr. George F. Clark & Kristen Goodrich Thank you for all your time and effort.

As the year comes to a close, we would like to thank our readers for their continued support and our writers for their passion and enthusiasm. Congratulations to the Class of 2015, and we wish everyone a wonderful summer!

Your Editors, Holly, James, and Alex

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Volume 7, Issue 6

Please join me in congratulating the

And a special congratulations to our

following students graduating with

special award winners:

Departmental Honors: Holly M. Berman

George F. Clark Academic Excellence & Service Award

Melissa P. Clelland Holly M. Berman

Katherine Fudacz Raleigh Kane

Bonnie J. McCay Environmental Leadership Award

Coryanne Mansell

Arcadia L. Papalski

Andrew Mitchell

Academic Excellence Award

Michelle A. Muska Arcadia L. Papalski

Raleigh Kane

Victoria L. Siegel

Academic Excellence Award in Science Learning/Communication Program in Science Learning Department

Lindsey Sigmund

Nicole L. Prinzo

Lindsay V. Ruhlin

The Department of Human Ecology is so proud of all of our graduates and looking forward to hearing about your accomplishments in the years to come. Please make sure you stay in touch and let us know what you are up to. If you haven’t joined our Facebook page, please do so: https://www.facebook.com/groups/66804259605/

Carpe Diem!

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  Coordinating Editor, Class of 2015

This picture was taken while I was studying abroad in Turkey. We met some puppies on a hike through the hills of Cappadocia!

I could not be more grateful for my experiences in the Human Ecology Department. Joining the EPIB Trail was one of the best decisions I made over the course of my college career, and I’m so excited to see it grow and change with new staff members. As an EPIB major, I was lucky enough to gain experience through a variety of interesting jobs and internships, and even study abroad in Turkey. I will miss Rutgers so much, but I am ready to take on all of the new experiences that will come my way!

My advice to younger students is to immerse yourself in the college experience as much as possible. Don’t completely overextend yourself, but take advantage of all of the interesting opportunities that SEBS has to offer! Working on research projects with professors, studying abroad, joining Alpha Zeta, and completing a George H. Cook thesis were some of the experiences that made my undergraduate career so valuable. It’s important to worry about your classes and your grades, but SEBS has so much more to offer than just traditional classroom learning. My last piece of advice is to make every effort to step out of your comfort zone. Make new friends, pick up new hobbies, and push yourself to be the best “you” you can be. Along with learning what you like to do, you also learn what you’re not so crazy about. Each of these experiences is an opportunity for growth and to learn a little bit more about yourself.

Congratulations to all my fellow seniors. You made it! And good luck to all of my friends that will be at Rutgers for a little longer- I know you are capable of amazing things.

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Arcadia Lee Papalski will graduate in May with a BS in Environmental Policy, Institutions, and Behavior from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. She is currently part of the Mary I. Bunting Program and is the Program Coordinator for "The EPIB Trail", student-based environmental virtual newsletter. Arcadia serves as a Global Ambassador to The GREEN Program and has completed sustainability projects in Iceland and Peru. She has also been the Secretary for the Mountainview Project Student Organization and serves as Chair of the Student Advisory Committee for the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons Consortium. Arcadia will begin her graduate studies at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy in the fall. Her future aspirations include becoming an Energy Policy Analyst with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

List of top ten things you see on the way to class: 10. Random pieces of unidentifiable trash 9. George St. Traffic at a stand-still 8. Long-boarder who is seriously about to hurt his/herself 7. 6 pairs of Dre Beats headphones 6. 10 girls wearing yoga pants with Ugg boots (extra points for Starbucks coffee in hand) 5. Flattened pizza boxes on sidewalks 4. Beer bottles overflowing trash bins 3. Women’s bra hanging in tree on Hamilton St. 2. Packed Rutgers buses. We have plenty of funding for athletics and nothing for transportation improvements...smh 1. Something that looks like vomit…no wait, that’s just more garbage on the sidewalk.

I just want to give a special thanks to the Mountainview Project program, the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College, Douglass Residential College, all of the faculty and staff at the Department of Human Ecology, and my fellow peers. I appreciate your support and look forward to working with all of you in the future. Thank you!

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Many questions have been raised regarding the current state of affairs between Douglass Residential College (DRC) and the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College (AADC). Rutgers University and Rutgers University Foundation are forcing the AADC to become a regular chartered alumni organization and would require the AADC to stop all fundraising activities. Stopping the AADC’s fundraising operations threatens the existence of DRC because some of the dedicated alumnae donors are not willing to donate through the University. If there is less funding to support the DRC, then where will scholarship money and program funding come from?

Additional news links: NJ Advance Media: http://www.nj.com/ education/2015/04/ douglass_alums_ral ly_support_to_fight _rutgers_plan.html Daily Targum: http:// www.dailytargum.c om/article/2015/04/ associate-alumnaeof-douglass-collegetakes-stance-tooppose-fundraisingchanges & http:// www.dailytargum.c om/article/2015/04/ fundraising-facedwith-ultimatum

If the AADC ceases to exist as their own entity and is forced to become a chartered alumnae organization, valuable support for DRC students will be lost. The AADC’s mission is to provide ongoing financial, programming, and communications support to Douglass College, her students and her alumnae. They encourage and promote the educational experience and leadership opportunities at Douglass College that are uniquely inherent in a women’s college. If the organization no longer performs fundraising activities, much of their purpose over their 90 year history is lost. The AADC Externship program and mentorships between alumnae members and DRC students would be seriously affected, as well as events held by the AADC that are built to inspire women to give back to their community, foster relationships and build strong bonds between the women of DRC and Associate Alumnae.

If you feel passionately about saving the AADC, please, sign the petition to allow the AADC to continue to supporting DRC in a meaningful way at: https://www.change.org/p/rutgers-university-douglass-residentialcollege-rutgers-university-president-barchi-douglass-dean-jacquelynlitt-rutgers-university-board-of-governors-do-not-force-the-aadc-tobecome-a-regular-chartered-alumni-organization Please, also make your opinion known by sending e-mails to Rutgers University President Barchi at robert.barchi@rutgers.edu, Dean Jacquelyn Litt at jlitt@echo.rutgers.edu and the Board of Governors at secretary@oldqueens.rutgers.edu. You can also call the Dean's Office at 848-932-8949.

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William Shinn’s Expectations of SEBS I wasn’t sure what to expect from school when I transferred into SEBS as a Junior. I felt that it would be fulfilling to address issues of the environment, but I didn’t have a specific career path in mind. I spent a lot of time worrying about how I would use my degree after graduation because I felt that others expected me to know what I was doing, and I had a need to know myself. I feel that I lacked a higher goal for some time and I failed to become engaged at Rutgers because an end goal seemed so necessary.

I made the mistake of focusing on a larger goal for so long that I let many smaller accomplishments pass by. I feel that there are a number of things I could have experienced, but did not because I was so focused on meeting certain expectations that may not have been realistic. Despite feeling that I missed out, I found the Trail to be incredibly fulfilling and an important outlet for some of the things that I wanted to express but couldn’t in the setting of any class. It was the lack of structure that made writing for the Trail so enjoyable, and it frequently pointed me towards new subjects that are never mentioned by our professors. I also knew the others participating had the dame general interests, which provided a sense of community that can’t be found as a student alone.

It is important to get involved and find some way to make an experience out of the time spent in college. It is even more important to rid oneself of unnecessary expectations when it is time to explore and admit that you have no idea what lies ahead. For anyone who is unsure of what to do with their time at Rutgers, I would recommend they simply try a number of things and stick with the one or two activities they find most interesting. It is the best way to become an integral part of the institution, and the most meaningful outlet for the various subjects we are expected to absorb in our short time here.

The picture attached is a handful of compost from my worm bin. I spent 3-4 hours separating roughly forty pounds of compost and worms after 6 months of adding food waste to the bin.

Say Cheese

By: Matthew Golden

My time at Rutgers has been filled with many interesting professors and fellow classmates but one of my favorite classes at Rutgers was a photography course completely unrelated to my major. I had been interested in photography ever since receiving a Minolta SRT-101 from my uncle and discovering weeks later that I had taken terrible photographs. Not even bad ones, like of boring subjects but legitimately terrible ones. They were underexposed, with the wrong shutter time and terribly framed to boot. Still, there was something so appealing about trying to capture 36 moments in time and rediscovering them weeks later when the roll was finally developed. Seeing my mess ups, and successes only made it more addicting.

The course, Photography I-A taught me all I needed to know about the subject and gave me techniques and approaches I will utilize as a photographer my whole life.

The difference I see between my pictures from before and after I took the photography course are night and day. But during the course it was hard to see my progression. I felt like the critiques were always similar, my technique could always be improved, and many other things. These things changed slowly and unbeknownst to me. Similarly, it's tempting to say that Rutgers did not change who I was but as I look back the differences are as clear as my pictures. The same thing happened, just over four years instead of a semester. I got better and better at what I'm doing, but everything felt the same. I'm trying not to be too cheesy here, but the point is that you should do what you like at Rutgers. Even if you do them in between things you don't like the person who comes out the other side will be a different and better version of you. Go somewhere awesome and take some photographs.

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Cheers to the Best Four Years of My Life!

By Chloe Lewis Everyone who knew me way back when in high school knew me to be the one student who would venture off to college in Hawaii and double major in Zoology and English; God forbid you mention a state school to me. This was my state of mind when my guidance counselor had to twist my arm to get me to submit my application and this was my state of mind after I received my acceptance letter, which I immediately threw away. Little did I know how far I would go and little did I know how much I would fall madly in love with the best university on the East Coast; Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

I came into S.E.B.S listed as undecided, was stuck into the Animal Science department, all the while knowing that I wanted to be a Paleontologist/Zoologist/Veterinarian. In due time I adopted an academic dean as my advisor, discovered the amazing world that is the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, and reluctantly settled for taking one single solitary Dinosaurs course.

Words will forever fall short to encompass just how much I am thankful and appreciative of S.E.B.S (our best kept secret) and this entire university as a whole. My time here has been an absolute blessing; I say this even as I recall all the seemingly hopeless hours of studying and as I recall the groundbreaking moments that forever expanded my consciousness for the better. This institution has facilitated an organic transformation within each of us; in the simplest respect, I enrolled as a teenager excited to vote in the next election, now I leave as a young woman ready to take on the world. As I’ve grown into with each passing semester, so has my ambition as a self-motivated virtuous scholar.

Some of my most memorable and impactful moments here have been engaging with professors in my department and delving into the hands-on field activities; these are the moments that have molded me into the prospective professional that I will be after my final semester here. There are too many to list, but my favorite is arguably one amazing experience I was fortunate enough to have last May of 2014; I spent a week at a beach house on LBI (a place I have since fall head over heels for) conducting beach transects and shorebird monitoring of endangered species. What I cherish most about this particular experience is the value in that short amount of time I spent there; the moments of self-realization, the connections I made, the depths to which my eyes were opened to a world vastly different from my own back home. Needless to say, this experience made me realize that I was on the right path and that regardless of what the future would bring, I would still be on the right track toward achieving my dreams; this experience also made me realize that it’s okay to trust in the unknown; no matter how carefully we chart our path, life has bigger and better plans for us. There is more I want to share with you; but I will simply say this: your experience here at Rutgers is and only is what you make of it; take advantage of what you will, you will carry and have to make peace with.

The biggest take away is this: the reason we are all here is not just to receive a piece of paper formally stating we have some small level of expertise in a field of our choosing, it is to take absolutely every learning opportunity (from your dorm room to the lecture hall), infuse these things within yourself, go home, make major impacts in your communities, and bring about meaningful change in the world; a world that desperately needs more people like us.

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by Ryan Koch My experiences at Rutgers gave me the most rewarding thing I could have asked for: they allowed me to understand what I am truly passionate of. And that passion is studying

parasites. It

wasn't too long after my freshman year that I decided the Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources program was where I wanted to be. After this important step, it was trying to figure out what about ecology and evolution I wanted to study. This came with the help of working in different labs over the course of several years. In my junior year, I became interested in aquatic insects, and began assisting a graduate student in Dr. Michael Sukhdeos parasitology lab. Here, I sorted through macroinvertebrate samples and identified and dissected insects for parasites. I began to appreciate the extreme diversity of parasites, a form of life I hadn’t seen before. This new appreciation motivated me to begin a project of my own.

I began my George H. Cook thesis in the summer of 2014 and conducted my research in the N.J. Pinelands. My project titled “Parasite communities along a river continuum in the New Jersey Pinelands focused on understanding the relationships between the diversity of parasites and their vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. In addition to recently completing and defending my G. H. Cook, I presented my work on Saturday, April 11th at the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium at William Paterson University and placed 1st in Ecology, Evolution & Environmental Science poster presentation. In June, I will be presenting at the American Society of Parasitologists in Omaha, Nebraska with the Sukhdeo lab. I will also be furthering my academic career in graduate school at Oklahoma State University starting in August.

The Greatest Class You’ve Never Heard Of

By Marc Katronetsky Let me guess. You’re a sophomore or junior who is enrolled in a major you love, driven by a clear career plan, and a dedicated student with many extracurricular activities. Yet, despite all that you still can’t land that one internship that’s going to make you somebody. Did I get that right? Well, what if I told you that there was a class in SEBS that matched you with an internship that was of significance to you; would you be interested? Of course you would!

I’m talking of course about Raritan Scholars, taught by Professor Dan Van Abs in the department of Human Ecology (course code: INSERT COURSE CODE HERE). With a career focused on water Dr. Van Abs is well known in the state of New Jersey and throughout the country through his work with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council, and Passaic River Coalition. It is his goal to match you with an internship that is both of interest to you and a field that you will excel at. If the remainder of this article still leaves you thirsty for more information please feel free to e-mail him at vanabs@sebs.rutgers.edu.

Now, at this point you might be asking yourself what makes me such an expert on Raritan Scholars. Well, I’m glad you asked! I took the class in the Fall 2014 semester and it was one of the greatest experiences of my college career. I’m not going to lie to you and say it was great 100% of the time and that every minute at my internship was one I cherished; if you take a class like that let me know! However, I would like to tell you a little about my internship so you can grasp the type of important work you will be doing.

I was matched with the Somerset County Planning Board and worked with them to complete chapters for their Natural Cultural Resource Inventory & Guide. This book will be published to the county so residents, businesses, and government agencies alike can better understand topics including climate change, air quality, soil and geology, and contaminated sites all happening in Somerset County. The majority of the time at my internship was spent on working on the climate change chapter which included doing research to define climate change to ‘the man on the street’, explain what type of regulatory processes were associated with climate change on the local, state, and federal levels, and of course finding best management practices around the county that were helping to mitigate the causes of climate change. Although this might be a project you can see yourself working on it will sadly not be offered in the Fall 2015 semester.

That being said, there are a dozen new internships that you can be matched with one of which will surely suit your interests. Working with the Highland Council you will work on a team to do a stream evaluation study with a primary goal of evaluating the land use surrounding the water flow to determine stream integrity. With the Somerset County Agriculture Development Board an intern can work with a county planner in farmland preservation and can gain crucial fieldwork experience. Through the Sustainable Raritan River Initiative a single intern can further their research and technical writing skills by compiling a comprehensive list that analyzes different individuals and programs that work on or with the Raritan River and Bay. So, there’s good news and bad news. The good news; there are still plenty of spots open for the Fall 2015 semester. The bad news; once people read this article they are going to be e-mailing Professor Van Abs for a spot in the class. That leaves me with just one final question…what are you waiting for?

P.S.: You can take this course as many times as you’d like!!!

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10 Ways to be an Eco Friendly College Student

By Langley Oudemans 1. Get a Water Bottle Disposable water bottles are a huge waste of plastic. Especially when you’re living in a dorm or apartment, it’s tempting to buy the cases of water bottles for your room, but don’t fall into this vicious cycle! Every time I went to the basement in my dorm to throw out my garbage, I saw countless water bottles filling the tops of the cans. Even though most of them were in the recycling bin, no plastic waste is better than recycled plastic waste. A reusable water bottle can be a major factor in lowering your carbon footprint as a college student.

Also, reusable water bottles can be very stylish and trendy!

2. Always carry a bag in your bag Whether it’s an impromptu stop at the student convenience store or protecting your books from an unexpected rain storm, say no to plastic bags and yes to a reusable grocery bag! Reusable bags can often be folded up making them a very unobtrusive item for your backpack. Being prepared is a key factor for living an eco-friendly life. This trick will give you the luxury of not needing to choose between getting groceries on an unplanned visit or being kind to the Earth. It is a must have item for your back pack! Trust me, this comes in handy a lot more than you think, and the earth will thank you for not picking up a plastic bag.

3. Turn down your thermostat Whether you’re seeing the direct heating and cooling bill or not, turning your thermostat down or even off is an easy sacrifice to make. Dorms are usually temperature adjusted in the hallways and lounges, but saving some energy by turning down the thermostat in your room can be a big help. Opening a window or putting on a sweater will help reduce your impact. The fact of the matter is you just don’t need it up that high. Turn it off and put on a sweater; follow Jimmy Carter’s example!

4. Go to the library I know your parents and advisors all encourage you to do this, but from a purely environmental standpoint, going to the library can keep you from using unnecessary electricity in your room and can also keep you from getting distracted by the electronic gadgets in your room. The lights have to be on in the library, so might as well make sure they are getting good use. It’s also a great resource for things like printers and scanners, so you don’t waste the resources it takes for you to buy your own. In addition, doing some research from actual books will give your computer a much needed eco-break.

5. Recycle!

If you didn’t do this when you lived at home, now is the perfect time to start recycling!

All the dorms have trash rooms complete with separate containers for trash, paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum, and most off-campus apartments have recycling pickups. It’s the oldest trick in the “eco friendly” book, and you can’t go wrong with this classic.

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6. Reuse!

It’s good to reuse whatever you can! Especially in college when ordering in and hanging with friends is common, don’t let your friend Mother Earth slip your mind. A lot of to-go food comes in plastic Tupperware, so instead of just throwing it all away when you’re finished, wash it out and reuse it! I’ve used them to pack sandwiches, store some cookies I made in the kitchen (or took from the dining hall), hold my toiletries when I go on a weekend trip, and even for more takeout! The possibilities are endless! Also, make sure to stay away from the places that use Styrofoam; that’s hard to reuse and even harder to biodegrade.

7. Buy in bulk This is one of the handiest tips for college living. It saves a lot of packaging material and saves you (or your parents) the un-ecofriendly drive to the grocery store. Shampoo, toothpaste, granola bars, pretty much all the essentials can be found in bulk at Costco and even Amazon. It’s also cheaper to do this! But don’t be over zealous, only buy in bulk what you know you’ll use.

8. Don’t leave your string lights on String lights seem to be the quintessential dorm room accessory, but if you have them, turn them off once in a while! It’d be better not to have them at all but if you do: put them on a timer, opt for solar powered ones yeah they have those), or unplug them before you go to bed.

9. Conserve water (For some reason college students seem to forget all the simple water conservation tricks we were taught as kids, so don’t let yourself be a victim of this. Remember to always: shut off the water when you’re brushing your teeth, don’t take half an hour showers, and for goodness sakes, everybody poops, so there’s no need to turn the sink faucet on high when you are taking care of business.

10. Dabble in Vegetarianism College is the perfect time, if you’re not already doing this, to experiment with vegetarianism. Meat consumption gives one a very high carbon footprint, so when you’re off at college, in control of your meals, try to lower the number of meaty meals (and many times more water can be saved skipping the beef than by not flushing the toilet). One trick is to have a routine, so you could only eat meat on the weekends, or if that’s too drastic for you, try something like meatless-Mondays. Reducing it in small steps and not giving up if you mess up can help you to possibly reduce it more in the future.

College is a fun time in your life, so it’s important to enjoy it, but making small changes to your routine can help you to make a positive difference in reducing your carbon footprint. Training yourself now, in your first footsteps of adulthood, will help you to lead a greener life post college. The most important things are to be prepared for, never give up – even if you mess up, and always look for new ways to be green!

College is a fun time in your life, so it’s important to enjoy it, but making small changes to your routine can help you to make a positive difference in reducing your carbon footprint. Training yourself now, in your first footsteps of adulthood, will help you to lead a greener life post college.

The most important things are to be prepared, never give up – even if you mess up, and always look for new ways to be green!

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Summer is Here By: Melissa Mertz Soaking up the warm sun rays, laying Underneath the shade of the blossoming trees, Memories that we’ll never forget, Momentary lapses of stress,

The Trail

By Alexander Nayfeld

Eating sweet and juicy fruits, Reading all the novels you didn’t have time for,

Following the trail, ever winding Taking it step by step, never rewinding

It feels like life couldn’t be better.

We march toward a global ideal

Salty air, salty hair,

The arduous journey, a known ordeal

Happiness in the form of sandy toes, Mother

Travel is solemn as we try to assuage

Earth sharing all of her wealth,

The onus placed on the Earth.

Reality fades away into dreams.

Curse the desires of a different age The men of the past, they left only dearth.

Dr. Clark, Kristen, Holly and the rest Embark on the most difficult quest Striving toward sustainable striding Deriding those not environment abiding

To others, we, as part of EPIB, Seemingly appear to roam, But we are fighting for an ideal Vying, trying to protect our home.

Everything feels alright.

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Web-slinging hero by night, friendly neighborhood environmentalist by day.

Title: Parker’s Web

By: Alexus Lizardi

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Hey! My name’s Chris Wilkinson. You may know me from such hits as “Writing about the dude who tried to get eaten alive by a snake on tv” or “making about 40 football puns in one article”. I came into the trail last year as a designer, and spent this one as a writer. I’m just gonna say some words because I’m (hopefully) graduating this semester! Which is cool but also scary.

Mostly I wanna thank my two main squeezes at the EPIB department, Dr.Clark and Kristen Goodrich, for putting up with my shenanigans every semester since I switched to the major. For real, they’re probably the only reason I didn’t drop out, since I was class-A miserable my freshman year. Having two awesome people to cry to when the going got rough was a life saver! And even though I’m sure he’s sick of hearing it by now, Clark is seriously the best. So thanks to you guys, and everyone in the EPIB department, for helping me through these years I’ve spent here.

For you cool cats who still got some time here, the only sage advice I can offer while stroking my nonexistent beard would be to make some friends in the faculty. It’s wonders what having some face time with a professor can do, and it can really be a motivational tool to feel more engaged in the class when you understand where your professor’s coming from. So that’s my two cents! It’s definitely worth the time investment to be a nuisance in office hours. I mean, 90% of the time they’re probably just sitting there bored at their desk (unless they’re Clark, who should really get one of those things that print numbers at deli lines to manage the students waiting for him), so utilize the time they’re offering for you!

I’m Chris Wilkinson, graduating senior and EPIB major.

I’m also the president of the main video game club here at Rutgers, and I’ve had a blast here. I hope my articles have been entertaining and maybe actually informative to you guys while I’ve been here!

Adios muchachos!

(How it feels to Graduate)

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Are Dogs Superior to all life on Earth? By Sagarika Rana Dogs are, backed by empirical evidence, the best animal companion possible. George Washington once said “Behind every important man, there is a loyal

dog”. Who are we to argue with a former president?

Scientists observing dogs over centuries have done their best to crack the code which is how they are

able to have such strong control over their humans.

Through countless experiments, scientists were able

to reach a statistic which is 8 out of 10 people prefer to hugs dogs over cacti. Dogs are extremely soft and they are also huggable. These two combined traits

allow for the maximum cuddliness that any possible

VS

organism on earth can hope to achieve. These extraordinary cuddles allow for dogs to enslave humans and trick them into waiting on the deceptive canines hand and foot.

But seriously dogs are really great companions. They provide unconditional love and support for people.

Regular dog walks improves fitness and that in turn can prevent certain diseases. Walks also increase social interactions making dog owners less lonely. Dog ownership can help people with mental illness and help people recover from personal trauma. Owning a dog and having the human-dog bond can relieve

stress. Some people argue that having young children around dogs can help reduce sick days but recent

studies seen to agree. Dog are a lot of fun and they are extremely cute. They are a handful though, so make sure you have the means to take care of one. I

am Sagarika Rana and I fully endorse dogs! Now if I can only convince my parents to let me have one.

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Plant-Based Moroccan Vegetable and Chickpea Stew w/ Orange Cauliflower Couscous

Created by One Green Planet.org, brought to you by Ariel Schwalb Vegetables

Cauliflower Couscous

Sauce





1 1/2C cauliflower



1C sundried tomatoes

1 courgette/zucchini, cut into rounds



1T orange zest



2t olive oil

1/2 carrot, cut into rounds



Juice of half an orange



1/2t cumin





1t turmeric



1/2t turmeric



1/2t cumin



1/2t sea salt



1/2C sprouted chickpeas



1T dried cranberries



1/2t cinnamon



1/4t cinnamon



2 dates, chopped



1/2t dried parsley



1t liquid sweetener



1T walnuts



Juice of half a lemon

Preparation 1. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor. Since I dehydrated the tomatoes just the night before, it still had a bit of moisture left. If you’re using store bought sundried tomatoes however, I would suggest soaking for at least 20 or so minutes before using it. Process everything to a paste. Taste, and add more salt, sweetener, or lemon as you please.

2. Transfer the sauce and the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and stir through until well combined. I would say marinate for at least half an hour or so to let the flavors mingle, although I myself marinated it overnight.

Generally a longer marination period infuses the flavors more and intensifies them.

3. After marinating, put the bowl in a dehydrator and dehydrate for around two hours. If you want a warm dish I suggest leaving it on for longer. Alternatively, if you don’t have a dehydrator feel free to use your oven at its lowest temperature setting with the door slightly opened.

Cauliflower Couscous 4. Process everything except the walnuts in a food processor until well combined. Stir in the cranberries and walnuts. Garnish with a pinch of dried parsley, or even better, a sprig of fresh parsley. Serve along side some warmed Moroccan vegetables and any leafy greens. I used some kale topped with tahini. Enjoy!

You can find this recipe and many other delicious, sustainable meals at One Green Planet’s online website!

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EPIB Trail

Volume 7, Issue 6

Cecilia’s Ceviche

By Morgan Lewis Spring is here and summer is soon to come and so one of my favorite dishes to sit down and eat on a sunny day is Ecuadorian style shrimp ceviche. Light and flavorful, this recipe is definitely one to try. Most of the recipe is just eyeballing it. And so don’t be afraid to add or reduce anything to get just the flavor your looking for.

Ingredients: 

About 3 cups small shrimp



1 Red onion



¼ Cup ketchup



1 Small fresh squeezed orange



Large handful of chopped cilantro



Tad bit olive oil (Tablespoon or so)



2 Tomatoes



1 to 2 Limes



Salt



Some pepper



Hot sauce (if you want)



Microwave popcorn (if you want) or Cancha



White rice (if you want)

Directions: Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the shrimp. Once well-cooked remove from the stove. You want to drain some but not all of the water the shrimp was cooked in. The broth you keep will be used for the marinade. Set shrimp and water aside. Slice your onions and tomatoes very thinly and throw them into a bowl. Add in your shrimp, cooking broth, orange juice, cilantro, ketchup, olive oil, lime juice, salt, hot sauce, and pepper. Stir them nicely, cover, and then place in the fridge for 2 hours or so.

After two hours pull out your ceviche and serve cold. You can put white rice at the bottom of your bowl and pour the marinade over or eat it just as it is. Microwave popcorn or Cancha are sprinkled on top if desired.

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EPIB Trail

Volume 7, Issue 6

You Owe Yourself One

Christi Capazzo This piece is for the confused college student who may be a freshman or the senior who still does not know what they want to do. Well, I’m on your side of the fence. I will be graduating with a major in English, a minor in EPIB, and a lot of retail experience. My resume is all over the place and I still don’t know how to answer when people ask me “What do you want to do with your career?” or “What do you want to do after graduation?” I haven’t figured it out and I might not anytime soon but here are some of my thoughts on how to handle your college career.

Whatever you do in your college career, do it for you. At the beginning of my senior year, I realized that I spend too much time worrying about other people’s achievements, other people’s opportunities, family expectations, etc. I have friends who were involved in student government, resident life, clubs, greek life, and still managed to have internships or jobs. The list can go on for a while. I am so proud of them for doing it, but at times, I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. It is easy to let yourself be down but please don’t compare yourselves to other people. Do your best and take the risks and opportunities that interest you, but make your college experience your own.

The important part about college is that you should be doing this for yourself. If there’s one thing I have told myself, it is that I can do whatever I want and achieve after college. Hard work will be necessary and it will take several steps to get there but that is completely fine. My advice to you is to do what you want and be proud for trying even if you fall on your face. You will fall too and that is almost guaranteed.

But, be proud of both your achievements and mistakes because college is not the end.

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EPIB Trail

Volume 7, Issue 6

An Open Letter to College Undergrads

By Tom Armstrong Dear College Rookies, Just because you have a couple semesters under your belt doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve mastered the art of College. It’s a time for learning, fun, experimentation, and growth. As a college student you will come across many different people from all walks of life and have opportunities you could have never imagined (some good…some not so good). It is a time of finding ones’ self and molding that self into the person you desire to be. With all these new experiences, people, and places it is hard to always stay on the straight and narrow both in the classroom and outside school. The following tips are things to keep in mind as you go through your collegiate career: 1. The syllabus is your best friend!

It probably took me a good 6 semesters before I realized the importance of a syllabus. As one of my brilliant professors use to say “your syllabus is a living document”. While no it’s surely not the Constitution, it is a clutch tool to help you get through the semester. Remember that assignment you thought was due Thursday? No? But it was on your syllabus. Oh there’s a quiz today? I didn’t know. But it was on your syllabus. Point being, don’t underestimate the helpfulness of the syllabus whether to find out when something is due, find out what exactly you have to do, or even how your grade is calculated.

2. Get out of your comfort zone.

As cliché as this may sound it couldn’t be more true. A number of famous quotes can be used to express this sentiment much better then I probably ever could, but I like the one from Neale Donald Walsch. It goes something to the effect of “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” This is something I realize more and more everyday. As a college student this is a perfect time to get out of your comfort zone; your young, in-experienced in so many aspects of life and eager to try new things. Don’t be afraid of failure or rejection as they are but learning experiences that will only help you from here on out. At the end of the day do as much as you can while in college and always be open to new experiences. Get off your couch; skip chilling with your homies for one night and CARPE DIEME! 3. Get to know your professors and faculty in your major.

Relationships and networking are key. As much as you may have a 4.0 GPA, if you cant articulate yourself in front of others or formulate a written assignment, all those A’s on tests aren’t going to do you much good post graduation. Understand that professors are real people too, they’ve been your age before, are familiar with the industries that you would like to work in, and may even be able to help you with internships and jobs. Professors are generally happy to meet with students and appreciate the fact that you take time of your day to come to office hours. If for no other reason, learn how to be comfortable with your superiors and how to act around them. At the very worst, attending office hours may benefit you at the end of the semester when your desperately trying to bring that 76 to an 85 or 90 and you need some study tips for your final exam.

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EPIB Trail

Chosen by Taylor Dodge

Dear Friend, Stand Tall and Proud Sink your roots deeply into the Earth Reflect the light of a greater source Think long term Go out on a limb Remember your place among all living beings Embrace with joy the changing seasons For each yields its own abundance The Energy and Birth of Spring The Growth and Contentment of Summer The Wisdom to let go of leaves in the Fall The Rest and Quiet Renewal of Winter Feel the wind and the sun And delight in their presence Look up at the moon that shines down upon you And the mystery of the stars at night.

Seek nourishment from the good things in life Simple pleasures Earth, fresh air, light Be content with your natural beauty Drink plenty of water Let your limbs sway and dance in the breezes Be flexible Remember your roots Enjoy the view!

-Ian Shamir

Volume 7, Issue 6

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EPIB Trail

Volume 7, Issue 6

I am part of a lost generation.

And I refuse to believe that I can change the world.

The Lost Generation I realize this may be a shock, but “Happiness comes from within” Chosen by Sagarika Rana Is a lie, and “Money will make me happy” So in thirty years, I will tell my children They are not the most important thing in my life.

My employer will know that I have my priorities straight because Work Is more important than Family I tell you this: Once upon a time Families stayed together But this will not be true in my era.

This is a quick fix society Experts tell me Thirty years from now, I will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of my divorce.

I do not concede that I will live in a country of my own making.

In the future, Environmental destruction will be the norm.

No longer can it be said that My peers and I care about this Earth.

It will be evident that My generation is apathetic and lethargic.

It is foolish to presume that There is hope.

And all of this will come true unless we reverse it.

(Make sure to read this poem twice, once going top to bottom and again in reverse.

-Jonathan Reed

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Volume 7, Issue 6

Trail Mix! Dr. Clark’s Weird News The Job of the Researcher: California State University Los Angeles researcher Marc Kubasak spent about 2,500 hours (sometimes 12 hours a day) training 40 brain-damaged rats to walk on a treadmill, after sewing little vests to tether the critters, suspended, to a robotic arm. His work paid off, though, according to the February Popular Science magazine, as doctors in Poland and University College London used his procedures to help a man with a damaged spine. (In the middle of the project, Kubasak developed a rodent allergy and was forced to wear a body suit every day with a respirator.) [Popular Science, February 2015] Suspicions Confirmed: The controversial ex-Greenpeace campaigner who years later turned against the environmental group's program walked out of an interview in March for a French documentary in which he assured viewers that Monsanto's Roundup weed killer was safe for humans. "You can drink a whole quart of it, and it won't hurt you," Patrick Moore told the interviewer for Canal Plus. The interviewer then offered Moore a swig of Roundup he had on hand. "I'd be happy to, actually," Moore reportedly said on camera, but then quickly changed his mind. "No, I'm not an idiot." At that point, Moore declared, the interview was "finished." [Time, 3-27-2015]

Another big congratulations to all of our graduating seniors!

We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. We know you will do big things!